Intermittent fasting, or IF, is being hailed as one of the hottest weight-loss trends of 2014.
The trend was fueled by the runaway success of The FastDiet (or 5:2 diet), in which dieters fast two days of the week and eat whatever they want the other five days. Studies showed that people who followed the 5:2 diet experienced rapid weight loss without deprivation. Now, another diet, The Every-Other-Day Diet (or 4:3 diet), is being touted for its ability to produce fast weight loss and improve insulin sensitivity. Nutrition experts said a major advantage of intermittent fasting is that it's easier to maintain than a linear diet where you're constantly depriving yourself. Previous research has indicated that intermittent fasting melts body fat and promotes the release of anti-aging hormones. There is a saying that a colleague uses that I like a lot: NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS THIN FEELS. If you could reduce your risk for cancer, diabetes and the effects of aging, you’d try anything, right? The five-day, low-calorie diet is safer and easier to stick to than true fasting, according to the University of Southern California study, published last week in Cell Metabolism.

This isn’t a days-long fast that ends with you running to your local burger outlet for relief. The participants who underwent it for three months showed reduced risk factors for aging, cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, the researchers say. The idea behind the plan is to “reboot” your body by clearing out damaged cells and regenerating new ones, said co-author Valter D. Day 1 of the diet: Consume 1,090 calories, made up of 10% protein, 56% fat and 34 %carbohydrates. The study group was small – only 19 participants – but the results were dramatic and promising.
Longo recommends that people discuss the diet with their doctor before trying it on their own. Lifescript’s Diet Center has many tips and recipes for eating healthfully and losing weight. Typically dieters eat 500 calories (600 for men) on their "fasting" days and follow their normal diets the other days.
What's more, research suggests that intermittent fasting protects brain health, helps maintain lean muscle mass, and boosts the release of anti-aging hormones.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Samantha enjoys running, cycling and photography.
The caloric count of the diet, during the “fasting” stage, is 54% and 34%, respectively, of what most people eat daily. After following the diet for three months, participants’ fasting blood glucose levels (indicators for diabetes) and factors associated with cancer and heart attack risk dropped, the researchers found. Longo plans to seek approval for the diet from the Food and Drug Administration so doctors can recommend it to patients with cancer and other serious diseases.
Krista Varady, said she easily shed 41 pounds on the plan while still enjoying all her favorite foods.